Freelance Project

Youth in Focus’ Freelance Project gives our advanced students the opportunity to use their photography skills to build job skills. They shoot real-world job assignments for outside clients who are looking for modestly priced photographic services and/or who want to support Youth in Focus’ work. Income from the assignments is split between the student photographer and Youth in Focus.

The Freelance Project is having an invigorating 2010! Under the guidance of long-time-YIF-teaching-artist/recently-turned-Freelance-Manager Sherry Loeser, this year’s projects have included headshots, concerts, fashion shoots, events, and even some architecture work. We have a renewed vision of what Freelance can be and are working hard to accomplish the goals we set out in January. Some of those goals include bringing in over $5000 of income for 2010, holding regularly scheduled workshops and practice shoots to further develop our students skills, setting up a recurring portrait studio in the 2100 building, streamlining and professionalizing the business side, marketing to a wider audience, and creating a blog website to make it easy for our students and clients to keep up with our latest achievements. We are well on our way to accomplishing our goals: so far we have billed over $3500, set up a Holiday Portrait studio for clients from other non-profit agencies, adjusted our billing system and rates, and have launched the first incarnation of our blog site https://thefreelanceproject.wordpress.com.

Freelance is an invaluable part of Youth in Focus. It enables us to continue positive relationships with our students after they’ve completed our advanced classes and gives them the opportunity to continue building photography skills while they develop job skills like personal responsibility, reliability, creative problem solving, customer service and communication skills. The chance to learn, work and get paid is a great motivator for our students; add in the bonus of being able to provide photography services to clients who often can’t afford them, and it’s a winning combination!

Many individuals, foundations and businesses make Freelance possible. Among these are Wells Fargo Foundation, US Bancorp Foundation and OneFamily Foundation. A $6000 grant from the 2010 Arts Cultural Facilities Program of 4Culture will allow us to purchase a dream list of new equipment to better serve our clients and create a more quality product!

As always, we’re on the lookout for great partners to help us extend the benefits of what we do. Freelance has recently partnered with Jun Watanabe, founder and CEO of Alegup Strategies, www.alegupstrategies.com, to offer our students Life Skills & Professional Development workshops. In return for Jun’s help, Freelance has provided photographs for his new website. Another partnership will see us teaming up with Southeast Seattle Senior Center. We will photograph approximately 20 seniors from SSSC and record a favorite story or moment from their youth. This intergenerational project will be a great learning experience both photographically and personally for our youth and, we hope, will provide joy and beautiful portraits to the seniors. The project will culminate with a traveling exhibit of the seniors’ portraits and stories. Finally, we will partner with the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs to document eight grantees and their projects; we are excited and honored to be chosen by the Office to take this on.

We are always looking for new assignments and new clients, so please check out what we’re up to at our blog website, https://thefreelanceproject.wordpress.com, and email us at freelance@youthinfocus.org or give Sherry a call at 206.407.2126 to discuss your next project!

	Photos by Kari C

I love photography because I am an artistically-thinking person, and it allows me to "record" the unique way I visualize my surroundings. A camera gives me means to share my personal perspective on the ordinary to not-so-ordinary world in which we experience through the sense of sight. The world we live in is perceived differently to each of us based on who we are, and what paths we have taken to get there. How the world looks and appeals to us as individuals is much like a kaleidoscope; our world’s made up of the same components yet seen in a multitude of various ways. So perhaps photography is so important to me because I find identity within it. It is a way for me to perfectly freeze in place all of those shapes I see within the kaleidoscope of life in the exact way my eye perceives them, so that others too can also see in the particular unique way I do. Photographs give me a way to share a piece of myself with the rest of the world, in a manner that nothing else can.

To me, photography is like a box of Lucky Charms; it's magically delicious!

– Kari C

Youth in Focus Teams up with PCNW for a Gear Sale!

Youth in Focus will be selling LOTS of used cameras, lenses and other miscellaneous gear on Saturday and Sunday, August 28 and 29 at Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave. Doors open 11am-5pm. PCNW will also be selling gear. Proceeds from the sale go to support each of the organizations. Sorry, but we won't be able to answer questions about what's available ahead of time. Come and browse and find a treasure! If you have gear in good condition that you'd like to donate to us to either use or sell, please call us at 723-1479. Cick here for more information.

Beginning B&W / Intermediate B&W / Beginning Digital
Summer End-of-Quarter Exhibit
Youth in Focus Gallery
2100 24th Ave. S., Suite 310, Seattle, 98144
Opening Reception: August 25, 5:30-7pm
On exhibit August 25 – November 19, 2010

Advanced B&W
Summer End-of-Quarter Exhibit
The Q Café
3223 15th Ave. W. just south of the Ballard Bridge
Opening Reception: September 1, 5-6:30pm
On exhibit September 1–30, 2010